Walking The Red Road: Empowering Practices for Your Spiritual Journey

By Larry Running Turtle Salazar and Pamela Two Spirits Reader

How do we navigate the Good Red Road using a modern world lens? With the current wave of divisiveness and discontent in the world, we are all searching for a path to a more inclusive, powerful, and purposeful life. We are seeking to align ourselves to our soul's purpose. Join Larry Running Turtle Salazar and Pamela Two Spirits Reader as they teach you empowering practices for your spiritual journey. No matter what religion or philosophy you hold, there are certain basic original instructions given to us by our ancestors. Once you awaken to these teachings, you start to see and release blockages that are holding you back on your Red Road journey. Awakened to your divine self and manifest the life that has always been there for your choosing.

 

Larry and Pam's spiritual visions, along with original instructions from Native American, Buddhist, Christian philosophy, and other teachings, help the reader realize they are not alone on this journey. Walking the Red Road: Empowering Practices for Your Spiritual Journey emphasizes interconnectedness, opening your heart to Creator, and honoring Mother Earth and her children; the stars, the trees, and the sacred ground we walk on. See Spirit within you and around you as you embrace the simple teachings of this book to help you navigate the Good Red Road. Walking the Red Road shows you a way to navigate life with an open heart of self-discovery, healing, and growth. Discover the interconnectedness of all things and your unique place in the web of life. Embrace the simple teachings in this book to further encourage and inspire you to connect to infinite love and see the divine light within you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: 2 Spirits Press
• Release date: May 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798990266407

Book preview

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To Patsy, without whose tireless dedication and support in life, this book would not have been possible. And to my family who continue to support my endeavors: my daughters, Yvette Darlene Yellow Bear and Yvonne Starlene Rising Star; my brothers, Ernest and Jesse; and my sisters Judy, Brenda, Tammy, Rosemary, Joanne, Cat, Connie, and my granddaughter MadalynMargot Salazar-Gomez Butterfly Woman. And last but not least, a special thank you to my co author and sister Pamela Two Spirits Reader and her hardworking editor and loving husband David Spock Reader.

— Larry Running Turtle Salazar

In Love

The sun penetrates my body, and I feel warm inside.

The wind pulsates through me, and I feel my breath quicken.

The water caresses me into a hypnotic state,

and I am one no more.

I am webbed with my relations as the ancestors whisper in the wind.

Thank you Mother Earth, Father Sky, and Grandmother Water

for every molecule you embrace with me.

— Pamela Two Spirits Reader

FORWARD

Iadmired Larry Running Turtle Salazar from the first time we met almost 20 years ago. Larry Running Turtle’s unwavering faith illuminates his path, casting a radiant light on his journey towards fulfillment and purpose. With each step, he courageously moves forward,  guided by the wisdom of his ancestors and the teachings of the Good Red Road. With a passion for sharing knowledge and teachings, Larry gives himself freely to all people. His achievements are widely recognized and extensively documented. Many of his empowering stories and journeys will be revealed in this book.

My healing journey is based on a powerful dream by my spirit guide Clap Dance who led me to my profession as a hospice nurse. The transformative ceremonies of Clap Dance have been instrumental in shaping my healing journey, propelling me towards new realms of self-discovery and leading me to pursue a path as a counselor, hypnotherapist and Reiki practitioner. In my dreams, I consistently experience a profound sense of interconnectedness, recognizing the divine unity that binds us all together in a sacred web of existence.  

We wrote our first book, The Pipe and the Pen in 4 months as a fundraiser supporting a native monument and ceremonial space called the Ishka Sacred Site in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Ishka Site is the inspiration of Larry Running Turtle, who is not only the primary motivator behind the project, but has tirelessly dedicated his life’s work to the project. This includes a march that he has led every year since 1997 (except the pandemic year) to bring awareness to this cause. There’s more detail below in the story of Larry Running Turtle. To view the entire proposal of the ISHKA project, including pictures and how to donate, please refer to the endnotes of this book.

We were ecstatic when Larry sold all 1,500 copies of our first book at the store where he works in Corpus Christi, Texas. Unfortunately, the publishing company went out of business and he could not obtain any more books. We are beyond grateful to all of you and your persistence for wanting a second book! Our new book, Walking the Red Road, includes more detailed lessons of the original book and additional chapters. We explain how to gather your spiritual medicines and end the book with teachings on how to remove blockages in order to manifest your soul’s purpose. And, as always, we want you to know how loved and awesome you are in so many ways!

Walking the Red Road blends heartfelt teachings of a Native American brother and a white adopted sister. It entails original instructions and spiritual medicines from Native American, Buddhist, and Christian philosophies as well as other spiritual teachings. We mirror those teachings with personal examples to help you realize you are not alone on this journey. Our wish is that you will awaken to the sacredness in everything around you, and to take responsibility for honoring yourself as sacred as well. This book emphasizes loving each other as brothers and sisters, honoring Mother Earth, opening your heart to Creator, and understanding the connectedness of all things.

In this book, we refer to the concept of God as the Christ Consciousness, Collective Consciousness, Creator, the Buddha Mind, Yahweh, Wakan Tanka, The Great Mystery, the Great Spirit, or the spirit that lives in all. There are many more concepts for God and we honor them all, and are not making any judgement. We include all faiths, including agnostic, in our circle of friends, and we do not intend to isolate or favor anyone. Rooted in Native American concepts and beliefs, this book often refers to God as the Creator and the Great Spirit present in ALL things.

Both authors have blended their teachings in this book, acknowledging that they wrote most of it with one voice. Walking The Red Road is just the tip of the iceberg among many teachings and books that are out there, and we encourage you to pick up one that resonates with you. Our belief is that we are part of Creator, the Collective and Christ Consciousness, Mother Earth and her children; the stars, the trees, and the land. See the light of God within you and embrace the simple teachings in this book to further encourage and inspire you to connect to infinite love.

Ishka (until we meet again)

Pamela Two Spirits Reader, Florida

OUR STORIES

The Journey of Larry Running Turtle Salazar

I was born in San Antonio in a small house on the west side of the city on August 18, 1956. Two weeks before I was born, my biological father left my mother, so I grew up without a father for approximately six years. My family was a brother named Ernest Grey Wolf and my sister Judy. As a child, I felt my mother’s pain, emptiness, and struggles. She would iron clothes at a laundry just down the street, and she had no choice but to leave us by ourselves in the house. After a while, she called in my grandmother to come into our lives and help raise us because she was working very hard to provide for us. My grandmother was very abusive and a difficult woman to be around. She would severely beat my brothers and sisters until her death. We felt liberated when she passed away because she could never beat us again. My mom remarried, and my stepfather became the only man in my life who played the father’s role for me. We continued to struggle financially, although the family became more stable with a loving stepfather.

When I was about six years old, there was a martial arts school across from where we lived. I used to hang around out front, but the instructor would not let me come in. He felt I needed to have my parents with me at the school, but my parents were working and didn’t have the time. So I would cross the street and hang around by the door or window and watch him train his students. In those days, martial arts training was secretive and not the popular stuff you see on movies and TV shows. I was fascinated, and I knew I wanted to engage in martial arts training. When I turned seven, the instructor finally let me come inside and study. Soon after I started training, my family moved to Corpus Christi, but my parents sent me to stay with our relatives in San Antonio every summer so I could study. During my summer training, I was to do things that were secretive and difficult, and I learned special skills and a spiritual perspective that has helped me throughout my life.

Growing up in Corpus Christi was very difficult for a young Native American. We did not even have the inherent right, unlike other American citizens, to religious freedom. Some of our ceremonies were not legal to perform until I was in my early twenties when the Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) in 1978. As a child, I did not understand the white world that we were being introduced to. Later, I learned that the historical treatment of Native Americans in Texas differs from most states. When Texas became independent from Mexico, the Republic of Texas realized that the Mexican government had granted no Native Americans land titles and used that as justification for expelling most of the Native Americans from the northern parts of the republic. The primary duties in the early years of the famous Texas Rangers consisted mostly of driving off or killing Native Americans. In Southern Texas, they simply considered the Native Americans to be Mexicans. They deported or killed anyone who professed to be Native American. Even after Texas became a state in the Union, the federal government could not make treaties with the remaining Native Americans. The state of Texas adamantly refused to contribute public land for reservations. After I enrolled in first grade in Corpus Christi, they immediately took me to the school office. They sat me down, and the principal came out with a pair of clippers and completely shaved my head. That haircut was the start of my identity crisis of living in two different worlds. During the day, I would come to school and play the part of a Hispanic boy even though I didn’t even speak Spanish. Our family had taken Hispanic surnames as survival names and outwardly blended into the TexMex culture.

Over the intervening years, this Mexican/Catholic cultural lens has filtered our Native stories and traditions. Our people had assumed the identity to keep from being expelled from our land, or killed. We could not speak Apache in school, only English. When I came home from school, my mom would teach us our Native culture. She showed us how to raise animals and dress a hide and told us stories. My mom also taught me my artwork. I’m an artist by trade now, and I owe all my thanks to my mom. She taught me to draw, paint, and sculpt. All I surrounded myself with was martial arts and drawing.

In Corpus Christi, we had extended family living in the house, and it was a tumultuous time. I didn’t like the strain it put on my mom, so at thirteen years old, I made a solemn promise to God and myself that I would not be a burden to anyone for the rest of my life. And I’ve kept that promise. My parents are no longer with me in the physical form, but they are with me spiritually.

And every day that I wake up, they are with me; and every night, I say goodnight. I reassure them I’m keeping my promise that I am not a burden to anyone. I’ve never been drunk, high, or stolen in my entire life. I have been so engulfed with spiritual ways and teachings that there was no room for anything else.

I stuck with martial arts training, and I started training in judo in 1969. I followed that path for seventeen years. Any of the martial arts names that end in do mean the way and so each martial art has a spiritual aspect of it. Judo means the gentle way. Each art is not just to hurt or kill, but it teaches you how to stop a fight before it starts — you talk your way out of a fight. When I was around thirty, I started training in aikido. The name aikido means the way of harmonious spirit or spiritual awakening. Aikido has a genuine concern for the well-being of the attacker. My training in aikido opened up my heart and soul to the spirit world. During my aikido journey, I heard of a Native American black belt aikido follower. People recognized him as a holy man from the start of his practice of aikido. I thought that the combination of holy man and aikido practice was an awesome concept, and I looked into that path. As I was seeking people, teachers came into my life to teach me spiritual ways. I studied aikido with Steven Segal, who is also a Buddhist follower. When I started, I knew little about that philosophy. I was in training in California and I felt the similarities between Buddhist and Native teachings. I didn’t feel threatened or negative during that training. I made a ten-year commitment to myself that I was going to go on a Buddhist quest and learn everything I could within this ten-year time. During that journey, I was in the presence of many spiritual masters, and it made my heart open up even more. At thirty-two, my spiritual path hit me full throttle, and I surrendered to it. I studied with many holy men in different countries and went to reservations to study with powerful Native medicine men and women. I met people who their people praised, honored, and loved, and I learned from them. My discipline in martial arts made it easy to learn. All this is part of who I am and how I live my life. The discipline of martial arts and being spiritual within the martial arts made it easier to bleed it into the ways of the Native culture and opened more doors for me than I could have ever imagined.

How I Became a Spokesman for Native American Issues in Corpus Christi, Texas

I remember hearing about a gentleman named William Red Fox Humes when I was a child. William Red Fox was a well-known spokesman for Native people and a Sioux Indian rights advocate. He lived in Corpus Christi and traveled all around Texas doing teachings and speaking to groups about the poor treatment of Native Americans by the US government. I remember growing up and thinking I would like to emulate him and how people remembered him. In March 1976, he passed away to the spirit world at ninety-one, and we did a spirit release ceremony at his gravesite in Rose Hill Cemetery in Corpus Christi. When I retired from the worldly work (barbering and martial arts), I dedicated the rest of my life to my culture, my people, and my art. To dedicate myself to my culture was to go out and talk publicly in schools, universities, and gatherings of social clubs about the history of our people and our ancestry, to educate about the wrongdoings toward Native people. From those early speaking engagements, my work has escalated to an enormous amount of teachings. I’ve taken on the task because the truth needs to be told. I tell the history teachers who invite me to speak to be careful what they invite me for because I will tell them the truth. The ones who won the battles, not the misfortunate ones who lost, write everything that students have learned about the history of our people. When the victors write the history, they do so in a way that justifies the way they treated Native Americans. Many people pull me in all these directions for teachings, lessons, and guidance on the right path, and I do what I can for them.

To dedicate myself to my people was to make a concrete and permanent achievement for them. I knew an Elder that once lived in Corpus Christi. He had gathered up the remnants of seven Native American bodies in a shoebox. They were in parts and pieces, and he wanted to rebury them properly in the nearby town of Rockport. I was invited to come and assist him in the reburial. He was the one who saw something in me and said I needed to be on a holy and sacred path. He showed me how to do a reburial for repatriating our ancestors and we talked about all the wrongdoings and he encouraged me to learn more ceremonies. We dug a hole and buried the remains in a sacred way. From that day on, he told me I should always fight for the Indian burial rights, so I looked into it and researched it.

We became aware that the neighborhood around Ennis Joslin road in Corpus Christi was built on the second largest Native American burial ground in the state of Texas. Workers called me in 1994 to say that they pulled out a small Comanche girl from a site where they were expanding the street. They were going to pave the area over her, and they had removed the bones. The Caller Times newspaper requested that I investigate it, and I felt saddened and performed a ceremony at that specific site. The state had pulled the bones out, and they wouldn’t give me the bones to rebury. I started looking into the treatment of burial sites in Corpus Christi and found out that there is much more to it. State workers promptly buried the remains of white settlers, but they sent the remains of Native Americans to archeology labs for study. I learned of a law signed by President Bush in 1990 called the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), which gives us rights to reclaim our people and to rebury them properly. Later, I heard a man named Larry Echo Hawk (former Department of Interior’s assistant secretary for Indian affairs) speak in Colorado. Going to those meetings in Denver, Colorado, and also in Austin, Texas, was eye-opening. In Austin, I met a maritime archeologist and historical anthropologist named Dr. Fred L. McGhee. Dr. McGhee is the one who really helped me get on the path to repatriating Native American bones. I felt moved to raise awareness about the burial site in Corpus Christi for my people. At first I wanted to rename the street of Ennis Joslin to Sacred Trail. I gave the city $500 to start the paperwork and went door to door with a petition collecting signatures to change the name. The long and short of it is the city didn’t change the name, and they kept the five hundred bucks. Then I thought, if I couldn’t change the name, I would arrange for the building of a monument on city land at the sacred site. The monument would pay tribute to the ancestors and commemorate the people who have been pulled out of there. It is an ongoing struggle, especially with the present economy, but I’m hoping within my lifetime I can see this monument go up.

The Journey of Pamela Two Spirits Reader

I grew up in a stressful, dysfunctional, and abusive family. I lived in fear of my father and learned to keep my mouth shut. I remember a particular time that I did speak up when my father was beating my younger brother behind closed doors. I begged him to hit me instead. My brother and I were close, and I wonder what would have happened to the family if he had lived. At 16, my only sibling, Kevin, died in a car accident rushing home from a party.